Upsizers have reached their highest market share in almost five years, reallymoving data reveals, as improving mortgage affordability and softer house prices make it easier for homeowners to climb the property ladder.

Reallymoving data found that 70.3% of movers who are buying and selling a property so far in Q1 2026 are upsizing, the highest proportion since May 2021.

A steady resurgence in upsizing activity since autumn 2023 coincides with a gradual easing in borrowing costs, which reallymoving says is making it more manageable for households to take on larger mortgages.

The proportion of transactions using a mortgage also climbed to 82.5% in January 2026, representing the highest level in eight years.

At the same time, inflation-adjusted house prices have fallen by 16% over the past four years, according to Nationwide, reducing the real-terms cost of trading up.

Reallymoving co-founder and chief executive Rob Houghton says: “The shift from downsizing in 2023 to upsizing in 2026 highlights how sensitive mover behaviour is to borrowing costs.”

“When mortgage rates peaked, we saw downsizer activity surge, suggesting many homeowners were freeing up equity to help family members buy. Now that borrowing costs have eased, upsizers are firmly back in the driving seat.”

“Real house prices have fallen significantly in recent years, so while mortgage rates remain higher than the ultra-low levels of the pandemic era, the overall affordability equation has improved.”

“Despite the cost-of-living crisis, the jump to a larger property has become achievable again for many homeowners. If mortgage rates continue to fall through 2026, the traditional ladder dynamic — homeowners stepping up to larger properties — could reassert itself as the defining feature of the market.”